Hot air appliance

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a hot air appliance ( 1.1 ) comprising an electric heating body ( 4 ) and a fan ( 9 ) for producing a hot air flow ( 28 ). The inventive hot air appliance ( 1.1 ) is provided with a catalytic odour filter ( 21 ) which is subjected to the airflow ( 27 ) from the fan.

[0001] The invention relates to a hot-air device of the generic typedescribed in the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Hot-air devices with a heater and blower for drying or heattreatment of hair on the head or for drying wet hands after they havebeen washed or for heating a room (fan heaters) are known in a very widerange of designs, for example as a hair-dryer (handheldhair-dryer/drying and styling of hair) or, from EP 0 176 003 B1, as ahood-type hair-dryer (permanent waving or coloring/bleaching of hair)or, from EP 0 695 521 B1, as a device of open structure (permanentwaving or coloring/bleaching of hair), as known as the model “ClimazonMillenium” produced by the applicant through prior public use. Devicesof this type generally operate reliably and fulfill their intendedpurpose.

[0003] The invention is based on the object of providing a hot-airdevice of the generic type described in the preamble which, by simplemeasures, fulfills a further function or a further intended purpose.

[0004] This object is achieved in accordance with the characterizingfeatures of claim 1. Further advantageous refinements are to be found inthe subclaims.

[0005] In a hairdressing salon, there is often an unpleasant mix of avery wide range of odor substances, typically ammonia and perfumes. Inaddition to the nuisance to customers and hairdressers caused by theodor, the above substances constitute a certain risk of allergies inparticular for the hairdressing staff. Effective cleaning of the roomair in the salon increases customer comfort and noticeably improvesworking conditions. Various room-air cleaners are offered to thehairdresser for this purpose. A drawback of this equipment is that itcosts additional money, consumes energy, takes up space and alsorequires a dedicated power supply.

[0006] The abovementioned drawbacks are resolved by integrating acatalytic filter in a hot-air device of the generic type, for examplefor treating the hair on the head or drying hands or heating a room.Particularly in the case of handheld hair-dryers, hood-type hair-dryers,“Climazon Millenium” and fan heaters, the multiple use results insynergies which make these additional benefits particularly economic andefficient. The need for a separate air cleaner is also eliminated as aresult. This also results in new generations of equipment with a new,additional functionality; by way of example, the hairdresserautomatically cleans the air in the salon during his everyday work usingthe device, or alternatively so do users of a hand-dryer, which isusually arranged in a fixed position on a room wall, for example of apublic-toilet. In an electric fan heater too, the room air is cleaned atthe same time.

[0007] The subject of the invention is a hot-air device with integrated,catalytic odor filter, in which optionally the device componentsblower/heater or alternatively only the blower are additionally utilizedor provided with an air-cleaning functionality. Catalysts which areintended to break down odor substances in the air require a highoperating temperature and, with a view to efficiency, a high airthroughput. Both conditions are already ideally present in a hair-dryer,a hood-type hair-dryer, a “Climazon Millenium”, a hand-dryer or a fanheater. The operating temperature of the catalyst is ensured by thermalcoupling to the heater element. The heater wire is preferably directlycoated with the catalytically active substance. However, it is alsoconceivable for a separate catalyst filter element to be arrangedsufficiently close to the heater to ensure that the operatingtemperature is reached. It is also possible for this element to beequipped with a dedicated heating means if this has design benefits. Inthis case, the waste heat which is generated is additionally used toheat the air stream. The required air throughput is automaticallyensured, since the filter element is integrated directly in the air flowpath of the device. The combination of a filter of this type with ahot-air device used by hairdressers (handheld hair-dryer, hood-typehair-dryer, “Climazon Millenium”, hand-dryer (offers the hairdresser aninexpensive and practical way of improving the air in his salon.

[0008] In the case of a hood-type hair-dryer having an air circulationdevice, in which approximately 60% of the air is returned to thehood-type hair-dryer (DE 201 007 5 A and EP 0 176 003 B1), a catalyticodor filter also has the particular advantage that a person sittingbeneath the hood-type hair-dryer is continuously exposed toodor-filtered room air.

[0009] The invention is described in more detail with reference to threedifferent, diagrammatically depicted exemplary embodiments. In thedrawing:

[0010]FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a hot-air device ashandheld hair-dryer with a catalytic odor filter;

[0011]FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of an individual heaterwire, illustrated on an enlarged scale, with a coating of catalystsubstance;

[0012]FIG. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a hot-air device ashandheld hair-dryer with a catalytic odor filter, and

[0013]FIG. 4 shows a third exemplary embodiment of a hot-air device asthermal radiator with blower and a catalytic odor filter.

[0014]FIG. 1 shows a hot-air device 1 with an integrated catalytic odorfilter 21 on the basis of a typical handheld hair-dryer 22, which isdiagrammatically illustrated, as a first exemplary embodiment. Thefunctional and design principles and the basic idea of the invention canbe transferred to other hot-air devices, such as for example hood-typehair-dryers and radiation appliances with air stream drying (EP 0 695521 B1), hand-dryers and fan heaters. Differences consist in thedimensions of individual elements and in design details, such as forexample the air guidance (return air in hood-type hair-dryers) and thedesign of a heater 4. The functional elements and their basicarrangement remain the same. In the case of a hot-air device 1 which isdesigned as a handheld hair-dryer 22, outside air 23 is sucked in via anair inlet 24 by an impeller 2 which is driven by a motor 3, a blower airstream 27 being guided over the heater 4 and blown out through the airoutlet 6 as a hot-air stream 28. A handheld hair-dryer 22 of this typealready has all the basic features required for a catalytic odor filter21: there is a high throughput of air and a significantly increasedtemperature at at least one location in the region where air is carried.The air throughput is required in order to allow the room air to becleaned as thoroughly as possible and to ensure the high temperaturewhich is required in order for a catalyst (catalytic air filter 21) tofunction. To make the desired catalytic reactions efficient, thecatalytically active surface 21, should have optimum thermal coupling tothe heater 4. This is preferably achieved by the heater 4 itself oronly, parts thereof, such as for example the heater wire 5, beingdirectly provided with a coating of catalytic substance 8.1 or at leastpartially consisting of such a substance (FIG. 2), the odor filter 21with the coating of catalytic substance 8.1 being acted on by the blowerair stream 27. A coating of catalytic substance 8.1 of this type isknown, for example, from DE 199 153 77 A1 (which is therefore consideredto be completely disclosed) as a catalytic composition for deodorizingor oxidation purposes, comprising a coating made from a coating compoundon a support and obtainable by application of the coating compound,including a polycondensate comprising

[0015] (A) one or more silanes of the general formula

R_(a)—Si—X_((4-a)),

[0016] where the radicals R are identical or different and representnon-hydrolizable groups, the radicals X are identical or different andare hydrolizable groups or hydroxyl groups, and a is 0, 1, 2 or 3, abeing greater than 0 if the silanes form at least 50% by substancequantity, or an oligomer derived therefrom,

[0017] (B) if appropriate one or more compounds of glass-formingelements, and particles of one or more transition metal oxides, theweight ratio of transition metal oxide particles to polycondensate being10:1 to 1:10, to the support and heat-treatment of the coating compoundwhich has been applied.

[0018] Moreover, it is possible and appropriate to provide all theair-carrying regions of a hot-air device 1, 1.1, 1.2 with catalyticallyactive surfaces, provided that in operation they reach a temperaturewhich is sufficient for activation of the catalyst 8.

[0019] In a second exemplary embodiment, shown in FIG. 3, a separatecatalyst 8 of independent structure is integrated in the airway of ahandheld hair-dryer 22.1, so that this structure is selected in such away that there is a large surface area and that the blower air stream 27passes thoroughly around it. On the one hand, this may be appropriatewith a view to maximizing an active surface area. On the other hand, itmay be appropriate in the case of heaters 4 which are not primarily usedfor air heating, but rather, for example as shown in FIG. 4, aredesigned as thermal radiators 12 with a quartz radiator 11, in a similarmanner to those described, for example, in EP 0 695 552 B1. In thiscase, the separate catalyst element 8 may either be thermally passivelycoupled to a heater 4 or may itself be actively heated by means of aseparate thermal radiator 13 and acted on by the air stream from theblower 9.

[0020] In a third exemplary embodiment, shown in FIG. 4, a blower 9sucks in outside air 23 over a separate catalyst element 8. The quartzradiator 11, which is in this case of annular design, in a housing 26 isnot primarily designed for air heating. This takes place primarily as aresult of the heat lost at the rear side 25 of a reflector 10. If thecatalyst 8 or odor filter 21 is additionally heated, in order to reachthe required operating temperature, this contributes to the heating ofthe air which is in any case desired. The odor filter 21 shown in FIGS.3 and 4 is designed in such a manner that it can be removed for cleaningpurposes.

[0021] Further catalyst materials or catalyst coatings 8.1 or preferredembodiments of catalyst elements 8 are not described in more detail inthe present text, since they are sufficiently known from the prior art,for example from DE 199 153 77 A1. However, materials which on the onehand break down the odor substances which are encountered in ahairdressing salon, such as for example ammonia, mercaptans andperfumes, as successfully as possible and at the lowest possibletemperatures and, on the other hand, can easily and inexpensively beapplied to typical heating elements and/or other surfaces in theair-carrying path of a hot-air device 1, are particularly suitable. Theyshould have good and permanent adhesion and should not impair theperformance and service life of the heaters 4.

[0022] List of refer nce symbols

[0023]1, 1.1, 1.2 Hot-air device

[0024]2 Impeller

[0025]3 Motor

[0026]4 Heater

[0027]5 Heater wire

[0028]6 Air outlet

[0029]8 Catalyst element

[0030]8.1 Coating of catalytic substance

[0031]9 Blower

[0032]10 Reflector

[0033]11 Quartz radiator

[0034]12 Thermal radiator

[0035]13 Thermal radiator

[0036]21 Odor filter

[0037]22, 22.1 Handheld hair-dryer

[0038]23 Outside air

[0039]24 Air inlet

[0040]25 Rear side

[0041]26 Housing

[0042]27 Blower air stream

[0043]28 Hot-air stream

[0044]29 Surface

1. A hot-air device having an electric heater and a blower forgenerating a hot-air stream, characterized in that a catalytic odorfilter (21), which is acted on by a blower air stream (27), isintegrated in the hot-air device (1, 1.1, 1.2).
 2. The hot-air device asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the odor filter (21) isarranged in the air-carrying region of the blower (9) and is providedwith catalytically active surfaces (29), the surfaces (29), from theheater (4), acquiring an operating temperature which is sufficient toactivate the catalyst (8).
 3. The hot-air device as claimed in claim 1,characterized in that the catalytic odor filter (21) is provided as aseparate catalyst element (8) which is acted on by the heat of aseparate thermal radiator (13) and by the air stream from the blower(9).
 4. The hot-air device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in thatthe catalytic odor filter (21) is formed by a coating of catalyticsubstance (8.1) on a heater wire (5) of the heater (4).
 5. The hot-airdevice as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that optionally ahandheld hair-dryer (22, 22.1) or a hood-type hair-dryer—optionally withan air circulation device—or a thermal radiator (12) with a blower (9)or a hand-dryer or a fan heater is provided as the hot-air device (1,1.1, 1.2).
 6. The hot-air device as claimed in claim 1, characterized inthat the odor filter (21) is designed so that it can be removed from thehot-air device (1, 1.1, 1.2) in order to be cleaned.